Manus marriage
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Manus was an Ancient Roman type of marriage, of which there were two forms: cum manu and sine manu. In a cum manu marriage, the wife was placed under the legal control of the husband. In a sine manu m
Relief showing a Roman marriage ceremony. Museo di Capodimonte
Roman high priests were often associated with the confarreatio ceremony
Adoption in ancient Rome
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Adoption in ancient Rome was primarily a legal procedure for transferring paternal power to ensure succession in the male line within Roman patriarchal society. The Latin word adoptio refers broadly t
Great Antonine Altar depicting imperial succession through adoption: Hadrian (right) adopted Antoninus Pius (center left), who in turn adopted the 17-year-old Marcus Aurelius (left) and the 8-year-old Lucius Verus; the head over Hadrian's left shoulder may represent the guardian genius of Aelius Verus, Lucius's late father
A family genius depicted as a paterfamilias (1st century)
Cameo (1st century) depicting Augustus, Livia, and Nero as a child
Denarius issued under Hadrian; the reverse shows him joining hands with Trajan with the legend ADOPTIO